


Programmed

by kristsune



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Echo didn't die, FIx It, Fives has excellent intuition, Fives may or may not be force sensitive, M/M, Umbara, definitely leaning more towards force sensitive, eventually, im sorry i cant rewatch the episodes again for more, it hurts too much, married fives/echo, waves hands at details
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:51:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9558083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: Fives has a bad feeling, its not the first time, or the last.





	1. Explosion

**Author's Note:**

> Ok. So this started with a quote from a different fandom and a random idea for a one shot. Then it snowballed into something that is definitely not a one shot.  
> I have never written chaptered fic, or done anything near resembling an actual plot. So I ask for your patience and understanding. Updates will probably be irregular and random. BUT I am excited and have Ideas.  
> If you would like a good vibe, I had [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBnI8edwcFY) on repeat while writing most of this.  
> Shout out to [Jesse](http://thebisexualmandalorian.tumblr.com/) for being awesome and supportive.

“ _ We are more than our programming _ !” Fives spat out. Furious. 

Him and Echo were on a solo mission in the outer rim. Fives just told Echo he had a bad feeling about this mission. Something felt off,  _ wrong _ . They shouldn’t  _ be  _ here.  

“We have to do this, Fives. We have our orders.” Echo was trying to be reasonable, to do what he believed was right. What they were told was right. 

But it was wrong it was all so wrong. Everything felt dirty, like there was a coat of oil over their armor that couldn’t be cleaned away. 

“Echo, we need to leave,  _ now _ .” Fives was almost ready to beg. 

Echo was adamant, “Fives, we can’t. We have our mission, our orders. We can’t break those. You know we can’t. Good soldiers follow orders.”

That last line sent a shiver down Fives’ spine, he couldn’t explain why, but it just made all of this more urgent.

“ _ Cyare _ ,  _ please _ . Please listen to me. We can make something up we can tell them we were compromised, fuck, we can run away, we just  _ can’t do this job _ .” Fives used the affectionate name to emphasize how serious he was. They generally only used them when off duty.

Echo finally looked over at Fives, and saw something in his expression. “Okay, if you feel that strongly about it. We’ll go. We’ll find some sort of excuse.” 

Fives felt like he could take a breath for the first time since they landed on this godsforsaken planet. There was still a tightness in his chest, but it eased just a little.

Just as they started to walk back towards their ship, there was a huge explosion and they felt the wind and aftershock even from their scouting hideout a decent ways away.

They got back to edge, and the building they were supposed infiltrate, was nothing but a crater in the ground. 

Fives and Echo shared a look, then focused back on the crater. 

“We should definitely leave.” Echo stated, slightly breathless.

“I couldn’t agree more.” Fives paused and took Echo’s shoulder, “Don’t record any of this. We need to find out what happened, but I don’t think we should let anyone else know that we are looking into this.”  
  
Echo nodded his agreement, and they got the fuck out of there. 


	2. Patterns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives contemplates his intuition, and how it has saved his and Echo's life on more than one occasion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to [Jesse](http://thebisexualmandalorian.tumblr.com/) per usual, for being great <3

Fives and Echo were laying in their too small bunk, on the ship they used for solo missions. There was a second bed, but neither of them wanted to sleep apart, especially after a mission. 

Echo was asleep, half sprawled on top of Fives, head on his chest. Fives was still awake, running his hand through Echo’s hair, it was calming for the both of them. He couldn’t stop thinking of the explosion, and how it wasn’t the first time Fives had kept them from getting blown up. 

The first time was when they were still on Rishi station. Fives realized there had been something wrong with the detonator before Hevy could sacrifice himself to save them all. _ Noble idiot _ . Glad he was still safe with the 501st. 

Droidbait, Cutup and O’Niner were the first three names on Fives and Echo’s Remembrance. 

Fives had never really thought anything of it. Tech didn’t fail all that often, but everything broke at some point or another. 

But then, the Citadel happened. Fives had been able to grab onto Echo before he ran to the transport. He had the overwhelming urge to keep Echo away from the ship. He had felt hot and sweaty, sick to his stomach. Echo fought him, knowing they needed to escape, when they were both blown back by the explosion. 

Again, Fives never really thought about it. The Seppies wanted to keep them grounded anyway. There were Jedi involved, no specific target. But, for the second time Fives and Echo were kept from being blown up by Fives’ intuition. 

This last time though, that was his strongest reaction yet. The need to leave was _ so strong _ , it physically hurt him. He hugged Echo a little tighter to his chest just thinking about it. Echo sighed and nuzzled in a little closer. 

They had both come so close to death yet again, and yes, they were at war, death was around every corner. This felt different somehow. Like someone wanted either one, or both of them dead.

Once is chance, twice is a coincidence, third time is a pattern. 

Fives was going to keep a closer eye on things, and not question his intuition again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Once is chance, twice is a coincidence, third time is a pattern." is a quote used in many things, I know it mostly from Teen Wolf, but its kind of everywhere, and I am not sure how to properly give credit. If anyone knows let me know, I'll edit.


	3. Umbara - part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fives meets Krell; he's got a bad feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has basically been written for a year and a half and I've had thoughts for the next part but I think I need to post this in parts because I need to just get it out and the added encouragement to write it will probably help. ~~I tried to edit this, because i can tell this was written a year and a half ago, but I gave up, hopefully the second half is better~~

Fives knew there was something wrong as soon as he stepped foot onto Umbara. It had nothing to do with the continuous night, or the glowing flora and fauna. Which was actually beautiful, if in a rather dangerous way.

No there was something else. Something deeper,  _ darker _ . 

Fives switched to the private channel him and Echo had, “ _ Cyare _ ,” which they had started to use as code for whenever Fives felt something off. “Keep an eye out, and be safe, yeah?”

Echo reached out and touched Fives’ wrist briefly. “You too. Keep me informed.”

Fives nodded as he switched his his comm back to the open channel. He wanted to make sure to stay in touch with everyone in case everything went sideways.

\-------

Naturally, everything went sideways.

It started when General Skywalker got called away. 

Then General Krell introduced himself. Fives felt like he wanted to throw up. There was something immediately sour and vile about him. There was a darkness that surrounded him. It felt oily and slick, like anytime Krell got near him, he would never be clean again.

Every single decision Krell made was  _ wrong _ . Not only were they bad for successfully achieving the campaign, they were also  _ terrible  _ for the extent of casualties they were causing. The amount of lost lives was absolutely staggering. 

Rex was trying so hard. He knew deep down that Krell was no good, but his damn code was getting in the way. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to back Rex up when he tried to stand up for the rest of them. 

\---

“ARC-5555. Stand down.” Fives was very glad he still had his bucket on, for a couple of reasons. One: as much as he would like to shut his  _ chakaar _ down; when a light saber was lit a mere few inches from your head, it was not the time to do so. Two: his bucket hid his expression. Which was a mixture of fear ,from being cut in half, and watching Echo attempt to leap onto Krell’s back.

Fives thanked all the little gods for Jesse and Hevy for grabbing, and holding Echo back. He was petrified of what would happen to Echo if he had actually attacked Krell.

After Krell was out of earshot Echo practically ran to Fives, pulling his bucket off, “What in the nine hells was that?!  _ He pulled his saber on you? _ What karking, out of their mind Jedi, does that?!” Echo’s face was red, and he had his hands on Fives’ shoulders. Whether to check if Fives was okay, or to steady himself Fives wasn’t sure; but the touch, even through armor, was welcome. 

“I’m fine, Echo. Please, keep your bucket on. I don’t trust anything in this place.” Echo looked at Fives for another moment before nodding and picking up his helmet from where he dropped it. 

Fives was not looking forward to the rest of this mission. Krell was going to get them all killed if something wasn’t done, and soon.

\-----

Fives hated leaving Echo behind when Rex sent him and Hardcase to infiltrate the supply base, but Echo was busy helping Kix with the wounded. There was just _so_ _many_ wounded, and Kix needed all the help he could get. Fives snuck a moment with Echo before they left. 

“Take care, for me, please.” Echo said, as he pressed their helmets together briefly.

“Always. Someone has got to stick around, and watch out for your  _ shebs _ .” Fives replied.

Echo huffed a laugh as Fives turned to join Hardcase. Fives just hoped that wasn’t the last time he would get to hear his husband laugh.

\-----

Hardcase and Fives got back to them just in time to save the day.

Echo couldn’t decide whether he wanted to hug, or punch his  _ riduur _ first. He settled with a brief keldabe kiss and a punch in the arm.

\------

Rex, Fives, and Echo, being the highest ranking officers, were in the command center with Krell. Fives hated being in an enclosed space with Krell even more than he did when out in the open. Like he was trapped, and couldn’t get that oily feeling off his skin.

Shortly after they arrived the transmission from Kenobi came through, updating them on the progress of the mission.  Fives saw Echo crinkle his eyebrows the way he did when he saw something he didn’t like, when the transmission suddenly cut out. Fives made a mental note to ask him about it later.

At the moment Krell was giving them another tactically stupid, fault ridden, mission. Fives decided right then and there, that they weren’t going to finish this like Krell wanted. They were going to do win their way to victory their own way, as only clones could. 


End file.
